Work guide for pipe reeling machines and the like



Dec. 1, 1942. R. J. ANATER EI'AL 2,303,314

WORK GUIDE FOR PIPE REELING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 20, 1941 Patented Dec. 1, 1942 more!) stares- PATENT- OFFICE WORK GUIDE FOR PIPE REELING MACHINES AND' THE LIKE Raymond J. Anater, Glassport, and Ralph B. Wiley, McKeesport, Pa., assignors to National Tube Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application September 20-, 1941, Serial No. 411,738

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in work guides for pipe reeling machines and the like.

Pipe reeling machines and the like generally employ inlet and outlet tables or troughs for receiving and supporting the pipe or work to and from the rolls or dies, said tables or troughs being flanked by massive cast iron guides which, with the trough bottom, are adjustable transversely of and in relation to the pass line of the work to form a gorge-like channel in accordance with the outer dimension of the pipe or work being treated. Heretofore, the side guides have been adjusted by means of screws and gears, but such means have been found unsatisfactory due to the presence of scale and water in the troughs, thereby fouling the adjustment mechanism and causing costly time delays and necessitating repairs.

It is a prime object of our invention to provide a simplified adjustable guide of the character stated capable of ready adjustment without being affected by accumulated scale and water.

The invention also contemplates the provision of locking means for securing the guides in adjusted position, and provides a means of adjustment which may be easily operated by the mill workmen without complicated and expensive mechanisms.

A further object is to provide an improved device of the character stated which is capable of being readily installed in existing equipment at low cost.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a tube or pipe reeling machine showing the application of our invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse cross-section taken on the line IIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of one of the guide locking means;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 3; and w Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modification.

Referring to the drawing, the reeling mechanism employed in the manufacture of seamless tubing or pipe is diagrammatically indicated at A, and includes a pair of rolls 2 revolving in the same direction on opposite sides of a cylindrical mandrel 3, to impart a spinning helical advance to the pipe or tube 4 for the purpose of burnishing and rounding up the same. Inlet and outlet tables or troughs 5 and 6 are provided on the pass line of the reeler on opposite sides of the rolls, said tables or troughs including metal bases I having spaced parallel longitudinal side walls 8 and intervening bottoms 9.

At spaced intervals along the tables 5 and 6, the side walls 8 thereof are provided with transversely aligned pairs of recesses H) for receiving the side guides ll therein, said guides being transversely slidable in said recesses upon bottom flat bearings 12 thereof. The guides II are usually formed of cast iron and are sufliciently massive and heavy so as to be securely seated on the fiat bearings [2, in some instances, each of said guides weighing approximately one ton.

Due to the free slidable mounting of the guides ll, they may be readily moved transversely of the trough in their recesses 10 by the simple expedient of a hand lever or bar, thereby enabling the positioning of each pair of guides in the proper spaced relation with respect to the size of the work or tube 4 to be guided thereby. Each guide II is provided with an inner vertical face [3 for engaging and guiding said work or tube, two positions of adjustment of the guides being shown in the full and dotted lines of Fig. 2.

1 Each trough bottom is provided with a movable guide member l4 supported by an adjustable support comprising sliding wedges l5 and Hi, the latter of which is horizontally movable as by a rod I1 to raise or lower the guide M. The said bottom guide construction is conventional, and with the side guides H, provides an adjustable trough for receiving and guiding pipes or other work of varying sizes.

For the purpose of securing the side guides l l in adjusted position, we provide each of said guides with a pair of hardened steel locking Wedges I8 adapted to be inserted in vertical recesses IS in the vertical walls of recesses ID to engage and lock the guides in the said recesses ID, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. Coacting with the upright tapered faces 20 of the wedges are correspondingly tapered faces 2| on the side walls of the guides I I, said faces 2| preferably being formed upon hardened steel inserts 22 mounted in said guide walls by cutting away portions of the latter as shown.

The coacting wedge faces 20 and 2| are also formed with complemental serrations or teeth 23 extending alon and in the direction of the taper of said faces. As shown, the serrations have an included angle of degrees, thereby providing an efficient locking means preventing movement of the guides H after insertion of their respective wedges I8 in recesses I9 and in engagement with the serrations of the inserts 22. The serrations of the guides H extend a sufficient distance along the side walls thereof so as to afford a locking engagement with the wedges I8 for the desired range of adjustment of the guides.

As shown in Fig. 5, the wedges I8 may be employed in a reverse manner and similarly coact with inserts 22 secured in suitable recesses in the table side walls 8, said wedges being received in recesses l9 formed in the walls of the guides H. The coacting tapered faces and 2| of the wedges and inserts respectively are serrated at 23 as before.

The complemental tapers of the inserts 22 and wedges [8 are preferably gradual, whereby the wedges become self-locking, and said wedges may be tightened or loosened by the blow of a hammer. Hence, it will be seen that the entire device may be adjusted and locked by the simple expedients of a pry bar or lever and a hammer, making it possible for the unskilled workman to perform the desired adjustment in an efficient manner.

By way of example, a typical reeling machine may have as many as nine pairs of guides or eighteen single guides, which require adjustment for change of size of the work. The cost of such a change isreflected in millwright wages, loss of production and loss of direct labor, and under former practices has attained considerable proportions. By the use of the present invention, the time element is materially reduced, and it is estimated that a saving of forty percent may be attained, These factors, together with the initial cost saving and elimination of repairs to the gears and screws formerly employed, constitute a valuable contribution to production economy.

Our invention has the further advantage of being capable of ready installation in existing guide tables or troughs, since it is only necessary to machine the same to receive the wedges I8 and inserts 22, while at the same time disconnecting and eliminating the gears and screw mechanisms formerly employed. The time and expense required to incorporate the present invention in existing devices is highly desirable in view of the resulting saving in future operation costs.

Various changes and modifications are contemplated within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a work-receiving table of the character described, an adjustable guide having side walls, said table having a recess therein between the side walls of which the guide is slidably supported for free movement thereof in a direction transverse to the pass line of the work, a pair of removable wedges disposed on opposite sides of the guide between the Walls of said guide and table. each of said wedges and one of said walls adjacent each wedge having coacting tapers, and other walls adjacent said wedges having recesses receiving and confining the wedges against movement relative to the walls containing said recesses in the direction of adjustment of the guideythe said coacting tapered faces having complemental serrations disposed along their taper, the serrations of said tapered faces recurring in the direction of movement of the guide to permit adjustment thereof in relation to the table.

2. In a work-receiving table of the character described, an adjustable guide having side walls, said table having a recess therein between the side walls of which the guide is slidably supported for free movement thereof in a direction transverse to the pass line of the work, a pair of removable wedges disposed on opposite sides of the guide between the walls of said guide and table, the side walls of the table guide recess having vertical recesses receiving and confining said wedges against horizontal movement, the wedges and the walls of the guide having coacting vertically extending tapers, the said coacting tapered faces having complemental serrations disposed along their taper, the serrations of said tapered faces recurring in the direction of movement of the guide to permit adjustment thereof in relation to the table.

RAYMOND J. ANATER. RALPH B. WILEY. 

